krueger



March 10, 1964 A. s. KRUEGER l DISPENSER FOR FOLDED PAPER ARTICLES Filed Fel?. 1, 1960 k 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. Hec'H/E .5. /usese Mfmfm March l0, 1964 A. s. KRul-:GER

DISPENSER FOR FOLDED PAPER ARTICLES 2 Sheets-Shea?l 2 Filed Feb. l, 1960 INVENTOR. l@QCM/E S. Keds 652 ATTRA/[YS United States Patent O 3,124,263 DISPENSER FR FLDED PAPER ARTICLES Archie S. Krueger, Green Eay, Wis., assigner to Alwin Manufacturing Company, Green Bay, Wis., a corporation of Wisconsin Filed Feb. 1, 195i), Ser. No. 6,011 o Claims. (Cl. 221-36) This invention relates to a dispenser for folded paper articles such as towels and the like.

A paper towel having what is known as a G-fold is an example of an article well adapted to be handled in a dispenser embodying the present invention. A cabinet has front and rear bottom wall portions converging toward a dispensing slot. The rear bottom wall portion projects from the rear of the cabinet and desirably has its forward portion slightly spaced from the end walls to accommodate the arms of an oscillating member which normally closes the slot, being biased forwardly by spring means.

The pivotal connection 'of the arms is desirably made at a point well above the bottom of the cabinet so that the oscillatory member moves approximately horizontally to and from its normal slot closing position. Since the member has no frictional engagement with the front and rear bottom wall portions of the cabinet, it moves very freely.

The slot closing member has a depending tab which performs at least two distinct functions. It serves as a handle against which the operator can push to move the said member rearwardly across the slot against the bias of the spring means which normally urges the slot closing member forwardly. Secondly, when the manual pressure on the depending tab is relieved, and the member swings forwardly in response to the bias of its spring means, the tab engages the free margin of a C-folded article and assures that such margin will be forced downwardly, the relationship of the parts preferably being such that the free margin of the article t-o be dispensed substantially covers, and therefore practically conceals the operating tab.

When such a free margin is exposed in a depending position below the slotted bottom of the cabinet, the operator can grasp the margin and readily ywithdraw the article of which such margin is a part. The withdrawal of that article will leave within the cabinet, and supported on the said retractable member, the corresponding margin of the next lowermost article stacked within the cabinet. Consequently the operator will have to push rearwardly upon the depending tab of the supporting member to retract such member rearwardly in opposition to its bias before the free margin of the next successive article will be left without support and will fall by gr-avity through the slot to a position where the returning tab will engage it and force it downwardly to a position where it will be conspicuously available for withdrawal.

In the drawings:

FIG. l -is a view in perspective of a cabinet embodying the invention.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged Ifragmentary detail view in section taken on the lline 2-2 of FIG. l.

FIG. 3 is a view in perspective of the oscillatable member which is manu-ally retractable against spring bias to expose the cabinet slot.

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary detail view taken on the line 4 4 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary detail view taken on line 5-5 of FIG. 2.

FIG. `6 is a fragmentary detail View taken on line 6-6 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary view in section similar to FIG. 2 yand showing ya stack of C-folded paper articles in the bottom of the cabinet.

ICC

FIG. 8 is a view similar to a portion of FIG. 7 and diagrammatically showing the retracted position of the slot-closing member.

FIG. 9 is a view similar to FIG. 8 showing the effect of the slot closing member as it turns toward the position in which it is illustrated in FIG. 7.

The cabinet illustrated comprises a rear wall portion 1t) with which side wall por-tions 11 and 12 are connected to project forwardly. A front cover 15 is pivoted at 16 to the side wall portions l11 and 12 of the cabinet and includes complementary side wall portions 17 and 18. It may also include a top wall portion 19 complementary to the fixed top wall 2li with which the back wall 1l)` is provided.

At the bottom of the cabinet there are front and rear bottom 'wall portions 21 and 22 which are desirably inclined toward a dispensing slot 23 which extends transversely of the cabinet between the terminal margins of the bottom wall portions 21 and 22. The front wall portion 21 is conveniently #attached by ends 14 to the side wall portions 11 and 12 of the cabinet, but the rear bottom wall portion 22 desi-rably comprises a ange projecting from the rear wall 19. The forward portion of this ange is spaced at 24 from the end wall 11 as best shown in FIGS. 4 and 6. It is similarly spaced at its other end from end wall12.

The clearance provided by the spacing of this ange from the end walls accommodates the swinging arms 25 and 26 of the slot closing 'and article supporting member 27, which is separately illustrated in FIG. 3. A pair of hooks 28 on the arms 25 and 26 act as anchorages for the tension springs 29 for which hook-shaped anchorages 30 are also provided on the cabinet side walls #11 and 12 (FIGS. 5 and 7).

The springs 29 constitute means biasing the oscillatory slot-closing member 27 toward its normal slot closing position in which it is illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 7, such position being deiined by engagement of ilange 32 on member 27 with ange 33 on the rear bottom wall portion 22 of the cabinet. With a stack of paper articles such as towels in the cabinet, each such article having a flap portion 3'5 folded beneath it from its forward end, the liap of the lowermost article will normally rest on the slot closing plate 27 as shown in FIG. 7.

When an operator desires to withdraw such an article, he will push rearwardly on the tab 46' which depends at the front of plate 27 as shown in FIGS. 3 and 7. The arms 25 and 26 will swing freely about their pivotal connection by means of rivets l1 to the cabinet side walls r11 and 12. The plate 27 does not itself engage frictionally any part of the cabinet, the only frictional contact being the Contact of the offset portions `di", and 44 of the respective arms 25 and 26 with the side Walls 11 and 12 of the cabinet. Since the springs 29 exert relatively light tension, the rearward displacement of the slot closing member 27 in response to thrust lon tab 4@ is elfected with very little resistance.

When the member 27 has been retracted rearwardly to the position in which illustrated in FIG. 8, wherein it underlies the rear bottom wall portion 22, the dispensing slot 23 will be wide open and the rearwardly folded free margin 35 of the lowermost article Iwithin the cabinet will fall by gravity through the slot as shown in FIG. 8.

When the operator now releases the pressure on tab do, the plate 27 will swing forwardly toward the normal slot closing position in which it is illustrated in FIG. 7. As it swings forwardly, it will engage the free margin 315 of the lowermost article to project such article from the position of FIG. S to the more nearly upright position in which it is shown in FIG. 9. In the latter position, the Vfree margin of the article will substantially obscure the push tab dii. However, the free margin of the article,

being nearly upright at the front of the cabinet, will be conspicuously available to the operator to enable the article to be Iwithdrawn from the cabinet by pulling on the free margin. There is a tendency to avoid wasting the articles dispensed Vfrom the cabinet by reason of the fact that the push tab 40 which would make the next successive -article available is not exposed to view until after the withdrawal of the article whose free margin was exposed in the previous operation of the supporting plate 27.

It will be observed that for the successful dispensing of articles from a cabinet of this type, all that is required is that each article have its forward margin folded rearwardly beneath the article for a distance which does not exceed the distance from the front of the article to the rear margin of the dispensing slot 23. Thus, 'while the cabinet is particularly designed for iO-fold towels and the like, it is also well adapted to dispense single folded articles and articles having other types of folds which result in a free margin upon which the oscillatory plate 27 can react as above described, the plate normally supporting the free margin and being retractable from its supporting position and being adapted, on return, to ride above the level to which the free margin will fall when support is removed.

What is claimed is:

l. A dispensing cabinet for flexible articles respectively having flap portions folded rearwardly beneath their for- =ward margins, said llap portions having rearward extent materially less than that of the respective article, whereby each successive ilap portion has a rear margin spaced Well forwardly or the rear of each said artiole, said cabinet comprising iront and rear bottom wall portions spaced to provide a dispensing slot centrally positioned with reference to the articles resting on said `front and rear bottom wall portions and of length as great as the ilap portions and so disposed as to expose a substantial part of the flap portion of each successive lowermost article, the part exposed including the said rear margin thereof, a platte normally substantially spanning the slot for providing supplemental support for articles within the cabinet resting on the front and rear bot-tom wall portions aforesaid, said plate being so positioned that the said ap portion of each successive article rests thereon, arms connected with the ends of the plate and having upwardly extending portions in pivotal connection with the sides of the cabinet `for mounting the plate for substantially rrictionless retractive movement rearwardly from beneath the flap portion of the lowermost article within the cabinet, the margin of such ilap portion thereupon falling through the slot ahead of the plate, and means biasing the plate for return to its said normal position, whereby the plate engages the fallen iiap portion to force its said margin forwardly in front of the plate.

2. A dispensing cabinet for ilexi-ble articles respectively having flap portions folded rearwardly beneath their forward margins, said Hap portions having rearward extent materially less than that of the respective article, whereby each successive ilap portion has a rear margin spaced well forwardly of the rear of each said article, said cabinet comprising front and rear bottom wall portions spaced to provide a dispensing slot centrally positioned with reference to the articles resting on said front and rear bottom wall portions and of length as great as the ilap portions and so disposed as to expose a substantial part of the liap portion of each successive lowermost article, the .part exposed including `the said rear margin thereof, a plate normally substantially spanning the slot for providing supplemental support for articles within the cabinet resting on the front and rear bottom wall portions aforesaid, said plate being so positioned that the said ap portion of each successive article rests thereon, Iarms connected with the ends of the plate and having upwardly extending portions in pivotal connection with the sides of the cabinet for mounting the plate for substantially frictionless retractive movement rearwardly from beneath the -ap portion of the lowermost article within the cabinet, the margin of such flap portion thereupon falling through the slot ahead of the plate, and means biasing the plate for return to its said normal position, whereby the plate engages the fallen ilap portion to force its said margin forwardly in front of the plate, the [arms being inside the cabinet, the rear bottom Wall portion aforesaid being shorter than the space between said Iarms, whereby to provide clearance for the rearward movement of the arms in the retractive movement of the plate.

3. The device of claim l in which the plate and cabinet ybottom wall portion have oppositely projecting interloclcing anges engaged in the said normal position to limit movement of said plate subject to said biasing means and thereby to define said position.

4. rIlhe combination of a cabinet `for dispensing ilat ilexible articles stacked therein and each having a 'llap portion with a free margin Ifolded beneath it and directed rearwardly from the front of the article and terminating well 4forwardly of the rear of the article, said cabinet comprising a rear Wall and side wall portions extending forwardly therefrom, and front and rear bottom wall portions spaced to provide a dispensing slot, a slot closing plate normally positioned beneath the rear :bottom wall port-ion and extending therefrom substantially across the slot, arms extending upwardly from the ends of said plate within the side wall portions of the cabinet and having pivotal connection with the cabinet side wall portions iat points spaced materially above the rear bottom wall portion of the cabinet, spring means biasing said arms and plate toward the said normal position of the plate, the plate being pivotally movable with said arms in opposition to said spring means rearwardly in a direction to expose the tree margin of the lowermost article stacked within the cabinet, the said rear bottom wall portion of the cabinet being supported `from the rear wall of the cabinet and having end margins spaced from the side wall portions of the cabinet for accommodating the oscillatory rearward movement of said arms, the said plate having a push ltab depending from it `and manually engageable for oscillating the plate rearwardly `from beneath the dispensing slot in opposition to the bias of said spring means, said tab being adapted to engage the inner face of the free margin of the lowermost article of a stack the cabinet to press said margin forwardly in the return of said plate toward its said normal position `following release of pressure on Said Ital).

5. A dispensing cabinet for folded paper articles such las towels having front and rear margins and having flaps extending rearwardly from their (front lmargins and provided with free rear end portions spaced `materially for- Wardly of the rear margins of respective articles, the cabinet comprising article-supporting front and rear bottom wall portions downwardly convergent and widely spaced to provide a dispensing slot, the front and rear bottom wall portions of the cabinet constituting supports for said articles, and the dispensing slot being so disposed with reference to articles resting on said bottom wall portions as to expose the free end portion and a substantial part of the entire area of the flap of each successive article, 4a plate having a iirst position in which it normally substantially closes the slot and cooperates with the `front and rear bottom wall portions to provide support for articles within the cabinet, means guiding the plate for rearward movement from said rst position to a second position in which the slot is sumciently exposed to perimit the tree end flap portion which previously rested upon the plate to fall through the slot ahead of the plate, and means biasing the plate for return to its said rst position forcing said free end ilap portion downwardly and forwardly in front of it.

amazes 5 6. The ldevice of claim 5 in which the rear bottom References Cited in the ile of this patent -fwall portion of ,the cabinet has length :less than the UNITED STATES PATENTS ,articles suppoa'ted thereon, the means guiding the platte neet-ion Wit-l1 the `cabine-t. 

1. A DISPENSING CABINET FOR FLEXIBLE ARTICLES RESPECTIVELY HAVING FLAP PORTIONS FOLDED REARWARDLY BENEATH THEIR FORWARD MARGINS, SAID FLAP PORTIONS HAVING REARWARD EXTENT MATERIALLY LESS THAN THAT OF THE RESPECTIVE ARTICLE, WHEREBY EACH SUCCESSIVE FLAP PORTION HAS A REAR MARGIN SPACED WELL FORWARDLY OF THE REAR OF EACH SAID ARTICLE, SAID CABINET COMPRISING FRONT AND REAR BOTTOM WALL PORTIONS SPACED TO PROVIDE A DISPENSING SLOT CENTRALLY POSITIONED WITH REFERENCE TO THE ARTICLES RESTING ON SAID FRONT AND REAR BOTTOM WALL PORTIONS AND OF LENGTH AS GREAT AS THE FLAP PORTIONS AND SO DISPOSED AS TO EXPOSE A SUBSTANTIAL PART OF THE FLAP PORTION OF EACH SUCCESSIVE LOWERMOST ARTICLE, THE PART EXPOSED INCLUDING THE SAID REAR MARGIN THEREOF, A PLATE NORMALLY SUBSTANTIALLY SPANNING THE SLOT FOR PROVIDING SUPPLEMENTAL SUPPORT FOR ARTICLES WITHIN THE CABINET RESTING ON THE FRONT AND REAR BOTTOM WALL PORTIONS AFORESAID, SAID PLATE BEING SO POSITIONED THAT THE SAID FLAP PORTION OF EACH SUCCESSIVE ARTICLE RESTS THEREON, ARMS CONNECTED WITH THE ENDS OF THE PLATE AND HAVING UPWARDLY EXTENDING PORTIONS IN PIVOTAL CONNECTION WITH THE SIDES OF THE CABINET FOR MOUNTING THE PLATE FOR SUBSTANTIALLY FRICTIONLESS RETRACTIVE MOVEMENT REARWARDLY FROM BENEATH THE FLAP PORTION OF THE LOWERMOST ARTICLE WITHIN THE CABINET, THE MARGIN OF SUCH FLAP PORTION THEREUPON FALLING THROUGH THE SLOT AHEAD OF THE PLATE, AND MEANS BIASING THE PLATE FOR RETURN TO ITS SAID NORMAL POSITION, WHEREBY THE PLATE ENGAGES THE FALLEN FLAP PORTION TO FORCE ITS SAID MARGIN FORWARDLY IN FRONT OF THE PLATE. 